Fire-escape.



B. SMITH. FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED 00115, 1909.

Patented Sept. 6, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETER: can, WASHINGTON, a. c.

B. SMITH. FIRE ESCAPE. APPLICATION FILED 0OT.15, 1908.

969,209. Patented Sept. 6,1910.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

BENJAMIN 5114/ 7/1 B M mix fin: NORRIS PETERS cal, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN SMITH, OF UTICA, NEW YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

969,209, Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 6, 1910-Application filed October 15, 1908. Serial No. 457,780.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, of whichthe following is a specification, reference being had therein totheaccompanying drawing.

My invention relates to a fire escape, and I declare the following is afull, clear, concise and exact description thereof suflicient to enableone skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tolike parts throughout.

One of the particular features of the invention is the employment ofendless chains, being passed over revolving members at the upper andlower ends, and one of which carries a series of platforms which by theoperation of the device are brought successively to each story of thebuilding at such a rate of speed that a person can easily step onto oneas it comes by. At the bottom of the device the platform is withdrawn,the person landing on a moving walk extending to the exterior of thebuild- Ihere are other features of the invention which will be apparenton reading the specifications and drawings thereof.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of the device, theintermediate portions being removed and part of the front, which may betaken to represent the outer wall of the building, being also cut away;Fig. 2 is a view from the opposite side, showing the arrangement ofgears at the top by means of which the chains are operated together;Fig. 3 is a view of part of the mechanism at the bottom, looking towardthe right in Fig. 1, showing mechanism by which the moving platforms orwalk is operated through connection with the chain carrying mechanism;Fig. A} is a plan view of the top, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on theline 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the figures in detail, A represents one wall of thestructure which incloses the device and may be taken as representing thefront or outer wall of the building, hich is apertured as at B foraccess to and egress from the escape. O

represents side walls the rear wall D also beingprovided with suitableopenings, as E, and which separates the escape from the several floorsfrom the body of the building, the several openings being provided ateach floor F, so that a person can step from the floor F through thedoor E onto the platform as it passes down. It may be well to note inpassing that in actual practice it is proposed to make the interior toprovide for these platforms being about two feet square so that a singleperson can be readily accommodated, it being intended to have theplatforms pass in such rate of travel that a considerable number ofpersons can escape from the building in a very limited time withoutovercrowding or accident.

Mounted at the top and at one side is shaft 1 which carriessprocket-wheels 2 and 3 the latter of which carries chain 4:. Acorresponding chain (not shown) is carried on sprocket-wheel 2. Thisshaft 1 extends beyond the escape proper, as seen in Fig. 4, and formsan element of the mechanism which operates and controls the device, aswill be seen. On the opposite side of the device is mounted in suitablejournals sprocket-wheels 6 and 7, each being provided with a chain,sprocket-wheel 7 carrying chain 8 (the chain for wheel 6 not beingshown). The mounting or support of the wheels 6 and 7 is not extendedacross the space between these wheels as in the case of shaft 1, and aclearance is thereby provided for the platforms which are carried bychains 8 and that on wheel 6. At the bottom of the device and suitablysupported is sprocket-wheel 10 suitably supported on the shaft 9 at therear of the machine, a corresponding wheel being provided at the front,but not being shown in that figure, and which sprocket-wheels areengaged by the chain on sprockets 3 and 10 while sprocket 2 likewisecarries a chain which rides on a gear at the bottom corresponding to 10,the latter chain and gear not being shown. At the opposite side of themachine, on shaft 12, is mounted sprocket-wheel 13 which carries chain8. A corresponding wheel is placed at the front of the machine whichcarries the chain which rides on upper wheel 6, the lower wheel and thechain not being shown. On each side of the machine the chain 4 and itscorresponding chain at the front and chain 8 and its corresponding thedisk 31, but in such a position relative chain at the front areconnected by rods 15, which are mounted at such points as to besubstantially opposite each other.

On one side of the machine are mounted swinging platforms 16 by means oflugs passing around certain of the rods 15, the platforms being ofsuitable number for the use of the device. At the top of the machine isa bracket 17 and a stud 19 which may be provided with a friction roller.The platform 16 has a hook 19 and an arm 18. lVlien the chains whichcarry the platforms bring one of the platforms to the top the lug 19strikes against the bracket 17 and tilts the platform 16 so that the arm18 passes above the stud 19 In continued movement of the device theplatform is swung into position horizontal of the escape, its free edgecoming to rest upon one of the corresponding rods 15 on the oppositepair of chains, as seen in Fig. 1.

The device may be operated by very slight weight on any of theplatforms, added weight increasing the rapidity of the movement which,however, is controlled by the mechanism to be described, which alsocontrols the action of the chains to make them move synchronously.

As stated, shaft 1 extends across the device and carries gear 20 whichmeshes with gear 21 journaled on the wall of the fire escape and whichmeshes with gear 22, like wise mounted, the train of gears ending atgear 23 which is mounted to revolve with sprocket-wheel 7 on a commonshaft. This causes the chains to move synchronously. At the farther endof the shaft 1 is a gear wheel 25. 26 is a shaft carrying pinion 27which meshes with gear-wheel 25 and which has at its opposite end a gear28. 29 is a shaft carrying pinion 30 which meshes with gear 28. Shaft 29has at its outer end, slidably mounted thereon, a disk 31 which isconnected with a spring governor. The governor comprises a disk 32mounted on the shaft 29 and springs 33 connected with disk 32 and to thedisk31, directly as in Fig. 4 or by a collar 29 as in Fig. 5, thesprings being operative under centrifugal force of weights 34 wherebythe action of the governor brings the disk 31 inward. These severalgears and shafts are suitably mounted in frames, as will be understood.

On one side of the frames is suitably supported a brake-shaft 35 withbrake-shoes 36. The brake-shoes are normally kept clear of the disk 31by means of a spring 37 which holds the shoes to their normal limit fromthereto so that the action of the governor when it exceeds a certainspeed will bring the disk into contact with the brake-shoes 36. Theshaft 35 has a downward depending member 38 and the frame has anadjusting screw 39 adapted to bear against the member 38 whereby toadjust the position of the shaft and the brake-shoes at a given distancefrom the disk 31, so as to render the governor more or less sensitive,or in other words, operate at a degree of greater or less speed. To thismember 38 is attached a brake rope 40 which extends downward within thefire escape and within easy reach of the doorway from any floor into theescape, so that any person can operate the rope to apply the brake andstop the movement of the chains and platforms as desired.

At the bottom of the device and at one side is placed a triangular strip50 which extends from front to rear and against which the free edge ofthe step bears as it approaches the bottom, the curvature of the stripbeing such as to maintain the platform in a level position after it hasbeen freed from the bar 15 on its side of the machine.

At the bottom of the device is provided mechanism for operating themoving walk, extending to the exterior of the building. Sprocket-wheel13 is provided with pins 42. A gear-wheel 43 is mounted on a shaft 44supported in the bracket 45 mounted on the base of the structure. Thisgear-wheel is provided with pins 46 so that it may be rotated by act-ionof sprocket-wheel 13. Wheel 43 meshes with a gear-wheel 47 mounted onshaft 48 which extends across the rear of the fire escape and carriessprocket-wheels 49 with chain 50 on which are mounted the steps of thewalk, so that as the device is operated and the platforms are lowered tothe base of the device the walk is operative to carry a person from theinterior of the fire escape into the street.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a plurality ofsprocket chains mounted in pairs, a series of platforms adapted to bepassed from the top to the bottom of the device by support thereof onthe said chains, a laterally moving walk at the bottom of the device,gear mechanism operating the said chains synchronously and controllingthe moving walk at the base of the escape, adjustable governingmechanism limiting the speed of operation of the device and means forretarding the action of the device independent of the governingmechanism, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, a series of sprocket wheelsmounted at the top and bottom of the device, sprocket chains supportedon the said wheels, platforms supported on the chains at one side of thedevice, means at the top of the device whereby the platforms are throwninto a horizontal position to be supported by the chains on the oppositeside of the device, a movable walk at the base of said escape, gearmechanism connected with the series of sprocket wheels and operatingsaid walk, and means for controlling the speed of action of the device,substantially as described.

3. In a fire escape the combination of gear wheels arranged in pairs,chains running on said gear wheels, one pair of chains having securedthereto pivotally mounted platforms and the opposite pair of chainshaving secured thereto bars to engage and hold said platforms in ahorizontal position while descending; said gears and chains actingsynchronously and a movable walk at the base of said escape operatedthereby and a governing device for controlling the movementof saidmechanism, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic fire escape, the combination of sprocket wheelsarranged in pairs, sprocket chains riding thereon, platforms pivotallymounted on one pair of sprocket chains, bars mounted on the oppositepair of chains, a movable walk at the foot of the fire escapeoperatively connected with and synchronously acting with the saidplatforms, and an adjustable governing device for controlling saidmechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a fire escape, the combination of sprocket wheels arranged inpairs, sprocket chains thereon, platforms pivotally mounted on one pairof chains, bars secured to the opposite pair of chains to support theouter edge of the platforms, and means swinging the said edge of theplatforms into position for such support, the same comprising a fixedbracket, a lug on the platform engaging with the bracket, an arm on theplat form and a bearing stud engaging the arm whereby to swing theplatform into supported position, substantially as described.

(3. In a fire escape, the combination of sprocket wheels arranged inpairs, chains running on the said wheels, platforms pivotally secured toone pair of chains and having lugs and arms mounted thereon, a fixedbracket adapted to engage the lug on the platform and mounted at the topof the escape by which engagement to swing the said platform, a studfixedly mounted and adapted to engage the said arms and raise the,platform into horizontal position Whereby its free edge may be supportedby the sprocket chains on the opposite side of the device, the saidchains carrying means therefor, substantially as described.

7. In a fire escape, the combination of platforms pivotally mounted onsprocket chains, said plat-forms having lugs secured to their undersideadapted to engage with fixedly mounted brackets at the top of the fireescape and swing the platform, said brackets, upwardly extending armssecured to the platform, fixedly mounted studs adapted to engage thearms and further swing the platforms with the continued movement of thechains into horizontal position whereby to rest on the opposite sprocketchains, the latter having bars provided therefor, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of sprocketwheels arranged in pairs, chains running on said sprocket wheels, onepair of chains having secured thereto, pivotally mounted platforms andthe opposite pair of chains, having secured thereto bars to engage andhold said platforms in a horizontal position while descending andtriangular strips at the base of said device, adapted to support saiddescending platforms in a horizontal position after the free endsthereof have left the supporting bars, substantially as described.

9. In a fire escape, the combination of sprocket wheels, sprocket chainscarried thereby, platforms pivotally mounted on said sprocket chains,mechanism to swing said platforms into horizontal position from beneath,bars secured on an opposite pair of chains, adapted to support the freeends of said platforms in a horizontal position, while descending,triangular pieces at the base of said escape, adapted to support thefree ends of said platforms in horizontal position after said ends leavesaid bars, a movable walk adjacent to the base of the said fire escapeand mechanism controlled by an adjustable controlling device forgoverning the said mechanism in synchronous action, substantially asdescribed.

10. An automatic fire escape comprising a series of vertically movablechains with platforms carried thereby, said platforms pivotally mountedto one set of said vertically moving chains and adapted to engage theopposite set of said vertically moving chains by a movement from beneathwhereby said platforms may be lowered to the ground in a horizontalposition and platforms at the base of said aforementioned platforms andmoving at right angles thereto, substantially as described.

11. In an automatic fire escape, the combination of a plurality ofcarrying platforms, certain thereof acting or moving vertically andcertain thereof moving horizontally, means operatively connecting thesystems whereby to secure the synchronous operation of the same,retarding means adjustable to govern the speed of the said platforms,substantially as described.

12. An automatic fire escape consisting of a plurality of rotatablechain-carriers, platform carrying and platform supporting chainsthereon, said platforms, gear mechanism at the base of the escapeintermeshed with the system of chain-carriers to be ac tuated therewithand a horizontally movable platform operated by said mechanism,substantially as described.

13. An automatic fire escape comprising a plurality of gear membersarranged in a vertical series and in a horizontal series, the seriesbeing operatively connected and carriers supported on each series ofmembers, the vertically movable carriers being adapted to carrysubstantially to the level of the horizontally movable carriers,substantially as described.

14. An automatic fire escape comprising sets of vertically movableendless carrier chains, platforms carried thereby, a pair of said chainsbeing on each side of the well or vertical chamber of the apparatus, oneof said pair traveling on supports of a diameter substantiallyequal tothe distance across the well and the said supports being placed torotate with their periphery substantially at the bottom of the escape,whereby platforms carried by the chains pass to the bottom of the welland are there withdrawn to one side thereof and a guide adapted tosupport the free edge of the platforms, while being withdrawn, wherebyto maintain the platforms level, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN SMITH.

WVitnesses WALTER STAFFORD, ELEANOR T. DE GIoRoI.

